Integrated Modelling Solutions for Flow Assurance and Process Dynamics Using Physics and Data

Abstract Flow Assurance and Process solutions are the key drivers for design and efficient operation in terms of maintaining system integrity and profitability. Subsea and Export systems rely on modelling multiphase thermodynamic calculations for design and real-time monitoring systems. Topsides and Onshore systems require modelling of unit operations, control schemes and equipment specific operating envelopes. Due to these vastly different requirements, the oil and gas (O&G) industry relies on different software/ tools to understand flow assurance vs process conditions. Achieving a solution that provides a holistic perspective helps in preventing individual system contractor oversight, in understanding how individual system designs operate and fit together, in supporting integrated procedures development/verification, and can act as an operator training simulator (OTS) system. A fully integrated process digital twin with both physics based and digital capabilities is required to achieve the above objective. The Integrated Dynamic Model (IDM) uses physics based hydraulic and thermophysical calculations in the design phase to inform integrated system responses that drive design decisions. In the operate phase, the IDM uses the field sensor data in real-time to monitor the field, trigger alarms/alerts for specific events, identify process anomalies like leaks and restrictions, assess hydrate formation potential and provide predictive functionalities to determine system states based on an operator action. Transient events can trigger responses across system interfaces and may lead to hydrocarbon release into the atmosphere, production losses and system integrity/safety issues. The IDM helps in complete process digitalization, field operation verification, process optimisation, decarbonization and improving system integrity. With the utilization of the historical field data, the IDMs are further able to learn and understand field-specific nuances that further supports operator readiness. The IDM is novel to the industry due to its capability to use production analysis data, equipment operating envelopes, control logic sequences and field data in real-time to provide informed decisions for integrated system design and operations. This paper will touch upon the integrated modelling and digital capabilities of the IDM through the lens of a couple of case studies – one in the design and one in the operate phase.